The American Letter Mail Company challenged the federal government’s postal monopoly in 1844 by operating a private delivery network across cities including Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Founded by Lysander Spooner, the firm utilized railroads and steamboats to transport correspondence, forcing a permanent reduction in national postage rates from 5¢ to 3¢ before legal exhaustion.
Legal Training and Activism
Born in Athol, Massachusetts, in 1808, Spooner bypassed formal college education to study law under John Davis and Charles Allen. Massachusetts law at the time mandated a five-year apprenticeship for non-graduates compared to three years for college attendees. Spooner set up a practice in Worcester after only three years, directly challenging the state’s discriminatory licensing requirements. This advocacy eventually prompted the legislature to abolish the restriction in 1836.
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Spooner gained prominence through his 1845 publication, The Unconstitutionality of Slavery. He contested the consensus held by figures like William Lloyd Garrison that the 1789 Constitution legally protected human bondage. Spooner employed natural law arguments to demonstrate that the text did not support slavery, advocating against its practice until the American Civil War redirected the political landscape.
Political and Economic Theory
Associated with the Boston anarchist tradition, Spooner championed individualist anarchism and labor interests. He authored No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority, which rejected the legal basis for treason charges against secessionists. He proposed replacing centralized government with voluntary mutual insurance entities. These political corporations would resolve disputes through jury trials, where twelve impartial individuals would deliver verdicts based on intuitive justice.
Fast facts
- Born: 1808, Athol, Massachusetts
- Died: 1887, Boston
- Burial place: Forest Hills Cemetery
- Citizenship: United States
- Key work: No Treason
- Primary occupations: Lawyer, essayist, entrepreneur
- Religion: Deism
Questions readers ask
Did Spooner attend law school?
No, he never attended college, choosing instead to study under legal mentors.
What was the result of his competition with the Post Office?
While his company ultimately folded due to federal legal challenges in 1851, the competition successfully reduced postage costs for the public.
Achievements
- Notable work: No Treason
